Tweet The recent ABC mini-series "Titanic" features Dorothy Gibson

For those who watched the four hour long broadcast, they undoubtedly remember Miss Dorothy
Gibson. She was introduced to others; was seen dancing with Jack, the 17
year old boy (until mommy took him to bed), and then seen dancing with the
2nd officer who told her he had seen two of her films, "Miss
Masquerader" and "Hands Across the Sea."

Naturally, being a silent film fan I had to take a look. Here's what I learned.

Dorothy Gibson was in fact on the Titanic and it's said she was in the
first lifeboat to be lowered. Being hit late at night on April 14th,
the evacuation and sinking occurred on April 15th.

Incredibly, Dorothy Gibson must have begun working on how to tell her
story while she traveled to New York by another boat.

"Saved from the Titanic (1912)" is a 10 min - Short
Drama (many films were less than 15 minutes in 1912), of the event and was written by and starred Dorothy
Gibson. The Internet Movie Database says the film was released on
14 May 1912 (USA), less than 30 days after she returned.

The film is lost, but here's the synopsis...

"A young woman tells her parents and fiancé (in flashback) about the
recent sinking of the Titanic and her experiences as a passenger during
the disaster..."

Director: Étienne Arnaud

Writer/Star: Dorothy Gibson

[silentfilm]

Frank Thompson's great book Lost Films: Important Movies That Disappeared has the complete story on Saved From the Titanic (1912).

Frank Thompson's great book Lost Films: Important Movies That Disappeared has the complete story on Saved From the Titanic (1912).

Thanks Bruce. On your recommendation, I've just added this book to my library.

Rich Wagner

Thanks indeed for the plug, Bruce. That book is just about as lost as the films it discusses. It is, however, being reprinted in Japanese. I offered to update it and add many more photos (including replacements for some of the weird ones foisted upon me by Citadel) -- they weren't interested. Except for the fact that it's in Japanese, I think it'll be identical to the original book.

Strange, huh?

Frank Thompson

Thanks indeed for the plug, Bruce. That book is just about as lost as the films it discusses. It is, however, being reprinted in Japanese. I offered to update it and add many more photos (including replacements for some of the weird ones foisted upon me by Citadel) -- they weren't interested. Except for the fact that it's in Japanese, I think it'll be identical to the original book.

Strange, huh?

Frank Thompson

Sorry to hear they weren't interested in another edition Frank.

As I usually do, I found your book quickly with an amazon.com search and bought it from the re-sellers.

Old movies often send me looking for books and it was Griffith's "Martyrs of the Alamo" that first introduced me to Col. Travis's personal slave Joe. By the time I finished researching General Houston, his long time friend Erastus "Deaf" Smith and Alamo Joe, the story of the Alamo had taken on a much bigger impression for me. What may have happened to 'Alamo Joe' in later years is another facinating subject as well as the capture of Santa Anna by General Houston with Smith's help. Before, all I really knew were some of the names. Ask any Texan and you'll learn that this was required reading for them.

Griffith's film had a white actor in 'blackface' portray Joe, but it clearly was a respectfully done performance void of any comic intention. That was the first time for me that I was ever aware a black man was among the victims (and apparently the only one to survive thanks to the Mexican doctors).

Knowing that you visit here, I now know how to reach you.

Best,

Rich Wagner

I've bought the book from Amazon also, a number of resellers have it. Thanks!